UTS taps Nexon for $20m-plus network modernisation

The University of Technology Sydney has partnered with Nexon Asia Pacific on a $20m-plus refresh of its network and Wi-Fi infrastructure across every campus, selecting the integrator through a competitive open tender.

The multi-year engagement covers the full network environment - wired and wireless, core and edge, data centre connectivity and security controls - and will deploy Wi-Fi 7 alongside AI-native network capabilities underpinned by zero-trust security principles.

Nexon is delivering the project on Extreme Networks' Extreme Platform ONE, an AI-powered networking platform that unifies networking, security and AI operations. Following a design and proof-of-concept phase, the partnership moves into an 18-month build, with managed services, strategic advisory and support continuing across a multi-year term.

UTS said the modernisation is tied to its UTS 2030 strategy and is designed to prepare the university's infrastructure for the bandwidth and density demands of an AI-native student cohort arriving by the end of the decade.

"The students arriving at UTS by the end of the decade will be the first to have grown up with AI woven through their everyday lives," said David Reeve, chief information officer at UTS.

"They'll expect learning environments that match their digital fluency and research facilities built for the data volumes ahead. Our network has to be ready for them."

Reeve said UTS chose Nexon for its engagement, its experience in higher education and its ability to deliver at scale.

"Our role is to build a modern, AI-ready, automated foundation that lets UTS's teams launch new services, support new research and respond to what comes next," said Leon Slattery, head of network and security pre-sales at Nexon.

“We’re proud to work with Nexon to deliver the necessary network foundation so UTS can focus on modernising and improving experiences for everyone on campus,” said Trevor Boal, regional director for Australia and New Zealand at Extreme Networks.